1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic equipment enclosures, particularly those enclosures that support computer hardware and wiring for access thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer equipment and networks require hubs to permit multiple computers on the network to communicate. The computers on a network are connected to the hub which in turn interconnects the computers to the file server for the network. In the computer industry, enclosures for hardware are available and are described in the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. Inventor(s) 3,784,728 DeBortoli 3,904,936 Hamrick, Jr. 4,605,275 Pavel 4,609,235 Ventura 5,011,033 Roth 5,208,737 Miller 5,272,279 Filshie 5,595,316 Gallarelli et al 5,721,394 Mulks
Publication
AT&T LGX.RTM. Fiber Distribution System
U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,728 to DeBortoli discloses a connecting block with hinged terminal member consisting of a pair of support members mounted to a frame for pivoting movement to provide access to the rear or back ends of the terminal clips. Access to the interior is provided at the top and through an aperture for the wiring.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,936 to Hamrick, Jr. discloses a rotating terminal block assembly consisting of a housing having jumper wire exit windows at a rear and bottom thereof, and a rotatable terminal block panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,275 to Pavel discloses a modular and encapsulated cross-connect terminal unit consisting of a plurality of modular blocks having fields which coact with corresponding fields of a housing mounted to a suitable base.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,235 to Ventura discloses a drawer for electrical cabinets consisting of a frame and a front wall adapted to be coupled to the frame, with the front wall having at least one panel and a coupling member for removably coupling the panel to the frame. The coupling member includes resilient elements and stop members adapted to be mutually coupled through a "snap action" by applying a front thrust to the panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,033 to Roth discloses an electrical service center consisting of a three-piece electrical box in which a top and bottom for the box can be snapped into place. The top and bottom are adapted to be mounted in slidable contact with the body and are provided with wire access openings.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,737 to Miller discloses a cross connector cabinet for telecommunications equipment consisting of a cabinet, in which columns of cross-connecting blocks are disposed in back-to-back relationship, and a connection chamber for connecting the wires of such block to the wires of an incoming or outgoing cable positioned above the cross-connect cables. The cabinet is adapted to be sealed and filled with an encapsulant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,279 to Filshie discloses a general purpose electrical box kit consisting of a metal housing having an opening suitable to be closed either by a pivotable lid or by a flat lid directly screwed thereon. The lid can be changed without having to change the whole box and there is provided in the sidewalls of the housing breakable discs through which wiring can be inserted to the interior of the box.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,316 to Gallarelli et al discloses an equipment enclosure for high-end hub-type products and consisting of identical top and bottom covers, and front panel/rack/tube assembly and side plates. This reference discloses a need in the art for equipment enclosures adaptable for rack, wiring closet, and free-standing mounting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,394 to Mulks discloses a flush mount multiport connection box adapted, in particular, for being mounted entirely within a standard depth wall or column framing consisting of a box having three closed sides and an open bottom, and a conduit connector disposed at a top thereof. A removable connector module mounted in the box supports a fitting to which the cables are attached.
The AT&T Publication discloses an LGX.RTM. Fiber Distribution System consisting of communication hardware shelves. The Front Access Termination Shelf (pages 2-5) discloses the "ability of the connector bulkhead to slide forward and drop 90-degrees bringing the rear connectors into an accessible position from the front." The Splice Organizer mounted in a shelf (pages 2-25) appears to disclose an organizer tray which is deployable/retractable with respect to the shelf.
The devices above, however, do not provide for hinged and symmetrical construction whereby computer hardware such as hub products, can be mounted therein and the device inverted for mounting to be hingedly opened in either direction for access to the hub at an interior of the enclosure.
The enclosures disclosed above also lack the adaptability to accommodate the older hub hardware constructed to the standard depth of 8"-9", and the newly constructed hubs which operate at faster speeds and have a depth approaching the new industry standard of 141/2".
Accordingly, known devices lack the adaptability for access to an interior of the enclosure, as well as to accommodate different hub hardware constructions for increased speed and features. In other words, old enclosures and rack systems will not accommodate the new hubs and therefore, in most cases, the existing hub enclosures have to be removed and new enclosures mounted or stacked to accommodate the new hub hardware. This is expensive and time consuming, and for environments in which a rip-out must occur of the stud mounted enclosures, it is extremely disruptive to system operation and increases the chance for system failure. Known enclosures for hub products are not constructed to be adapted to receive the new components without substantial reconstruction of the mounting of the enclosure to the wall in those instances where such mounting is employed.